{"id":211,"date":"2009-11-07T23:26:03","date_gmt":"2009-11-08T06:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=211"},"modified":"2009-11-08T11:08:02","modified_gmt":"2009-11-08T18:08:02","slug":"solar-impulse-rollout-and-all-motors-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/solar-impulse-rollout-and-all-motors-running\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Impulse Rollout and All Motors Running"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 6, 2009, Solar Impulse left its hangar and Markus Scherdel, the project’s test pilot, ran all four motors on the giant craft.\u00a0 This marks the beginning of ground testing for HB-SIA.<\/a>\u00a0 “With its engines running at full power, it gave the impression of wanting to get off the ground straightaway …but it won\u2019t be long now before we release the brakes and let it roll its first few meters,”<\/em> said Andr\u00e9 Borschberg, co- founder of Solar Impulse.\u00a0 The four motors achieved full power at 400 rpm.<\/p>\n

Bertrand Picard, the originator of the project, was equally enthusiastic. “For the whole team, the impression of seeing it completely assembled, majestically reigning over the D\u00fcbendorf tarmac was very intense!\u00a0 We just can\u2019t wait to see it fly, culminating 6 years of work.”<\/em>\u00a0 Testing will now continue, with\u00a0taxiing trials, followed by increasingly quick runs down the Dubendorf airfield runway until initial “crow hops” are accomplished.\u00a0 This Swiss-based project\u00a0results from\u00a0a huge investment in an inspirational quest to fly around the world on solar power.<\/p>\n

\"Solar

Solar Impulse HB-SIA Prepared for First Motor Runs<\/p><\/div>\n

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